Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
, encompassing part of the Montezuma Swamp at the north end of Cayuga Lake
. The refuge lies between the cities of Rochester
and Syracuse, New York
(5 miles (8 km) east of Seneca Falls
, and 10 miles (16 km) west of Auburn
), including parts of Seneca
, Cayuga
, and Wayne
Counties. Most of the refuge lies in the Town of Tyre
, in the northeast corner of Seneca County.
The Montezuma Marshes were designated a National Natural Landmark
in May 1973; the citation notes that "A small, 100-acre area within the site is one of the best examples of undisturbed swamp woodlands in New York or New England."
The New York
Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area
borders the national wildlife refuge and protects additional parts of the Montezuma Swamp.
A significant spot along the Atlantic Flyway
, the Refuge provides crucial habitat for migratory waterfowl and other birds.
Emperor Montezuma
in Mexico City. Eventually the Marsh, the Village, and the Refuge all acquired the name.
There were no dramatic changes in the marsh until the development of the Erie Canal
in the 19th century, when it became apparent that feeder canals from Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake
would in time link these lakes with the main line. With canal construction, there arose the possibility of draining the marshes, and an act was passed relative to the draining of the Cayuga Marshes. Work first began on the canal system on July 4, 1817, and the completion was marked by the first passage from Lake Erie to New York City on October 26, 1825. Construction of the Seneca-Cayuga canal began in 1818 and by 1828 boats passed from Geneva to the Erie Canal at Montezuma. The Erie Canal did not greatly affect the marshes as the Seneca River still flowed directly from Cayuga Lake into the marshes.
In 1910, the widening and reconstruction of the Seneca and Cayuga extension of the New York State Barge Canal altered the marshes. A lock was built at the north end of Cayuga Lake and a dam was constructed at the outlet of the lake. This effectively lowered the level of the river by eight to ten feet (about 3 m) and the waters drained from the marshes. The meandering rivers were straightened and deepened, thereby creating additional drainage-ways.
In 1937 the Bureau of Biological Survey, which later became the US Fish and Wildlife Service, purchased 6,432 acres (26.03 km2) of the former marsh. The Civilian Conservation Corps began work on a series of low dikes which would hold water and restore part of the marsh habitat that had once existed.
The refuge was opened in 1938 as the Montezuma Migratory Bird Refuge. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 7971 which established the Bird Refuge on September 12, 1938.
The refuge provides a stopping point for waterfowl and other migratory birds. The refuge restored marsh land lost to drainage from the construction of the Cayuga and Seneca Canal that linked the Finger Lakes
to the Erie Canal
.
In May, 1973, the refuge was designated as the Montezuma Marshes National Natural Landmark
by the Secretary of the Department of the Interior
.
The New York State Thruway
passes through the north end of the preserve. While passing motorists can glimpse the preserve as they speed along the Thruway, they may obtain a better view from the 3.5 mile (6 km) road that begins at the visitors center south of the Thruway.
The refuge also has an area where Bald Eagle
s have been nesting in recent years.
The 3.5 mile (6 km) Wildlife Drive is a one-way auto tour that provides many opportunities to observe and photograph wildlife. The main feature of the drive is the 1600 acre (6.5 km2) wetland which hosts a rich diversity of waterfowl, waterbirds and other wildlife. The drive is open most of the year with the exception of winter, when the road may not be passable.
Hikers and walkers can enjoy the 2 mile (3 km) Esker Brook Trail and the 3/4 mile (1 km) Oxbow Trail.
The Visitor Center and gift shop are open from April 1 to December 1 and have educational brochures, exhibits and specimens about the refuge and its wildlife.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
, encompassing part of the Montezuma Swamp at the north end of Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
. The refuge lies between the cities of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
(5 miles (8 km) east of Seneca Falls
Seneca Falls (town), New York
Seneca Falls is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 9,347 at the 2000 census.The Town of Seneca Falls contains a village also called Seneca Falls...
, and 10 miles (16 km) west of Auburn
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
), including parts of Seneca
Seneca County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,342 people, 12,630 households, and 8,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile . There were 14,794 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, Cayuga
Cayuga County, New York
Cayuga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was named for one of the tribes of Indians in the Iroquois Confederation. Its county seat is Auburn.- History :...
, and Wayne
Wayne County, New York
Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
Counties. Most of the refuge lies in the Town of Tyre
Tyre, New York
Tyre is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 899 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the Lebanese city of Tyre.The Town of Tyre is located in the northeastern part of the county, northeast of Geneva, New York....
, in the northeast corner of Seneca County.
The Montezuma Marshes were designated a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
in May 1973; the citation notes that "A small, 100-acre area within the site is one of the best examples of undisturbed swamp woodlands in New York or New England."
The New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area
New York State Wildlife Management Areas
New York State owns and maintains more than 85 Wildlife Management Areas , with a total area of more than .The Wildlife Management Areas Program is administered by the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources of the Department of Environmental Conservation...
borders the national wildlife refuge and protects additional parts of the Montezuma Swamp.
A significant spot along the Atlantic Flyway
Atlantic Flyway
The Atlantic Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Atlantic Coast of North America and the Appalachian Mountains. The main endpoints of the flyway include the Canadian Maritimes and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably in...
, the Refuge provides crucial habitat for migratory waterfowl and other birds.
History
The Finger Lakes Region was formed by the melting glaciers of the last glacial period, over ten thousand years ago. The northern and southern ends of the lakes gradually developed into extensive marshes. First the Algonquin Indians and later the Cayugas of the Iroquois Nation were the earliest known inhabitants to reap the rewards of the bountiful life in the marsh. The name "Montezuma" was first used in 1806 when Dr. Peter Clark named his hilltop home "Montezuma" after the palace of the AztecAztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
Emperor Montezuma
Montezuma
Montezuma, Moctezuma, Moteczoma, Motecuhzoma, Moteuczomah, Mwatazuma, are variant spellings and may refer to:*Moctezuma II , ninth Aztec Emperor, ruler at the beginning of the Spanish conquest of Mexico...
in Mexico City. Eventually the Marsh, the Village, and the Refuge all acquired the name.
There were no dramatic changes in the marsh until the development of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
in the 19th century, when it became apparent that feeder canals from Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
would in time link these lakes with the main line. With canal construction, there arose the possibility of draining the marshes, and an act was passed relative to the draining of the Cayuga Marshes. Work first began on the canal system on July 4, 1817, and the completion was marked by the first passage from Lake Erie to New York City on October 26, 1825. Construction of the Seneca-Cayuga canal began in 1818 and by 1828 boats passed from Geneva to the Erie Canal at Montezuma. The Erie Canal did not greatly affect the marshes as the Seneca River still flowed directly from Cayuga Lake into the marshes.
In 1910, the widening and reconstruction of the Seneca and Cayuga extension of the New York State Barge Canal altered the marshes. A lock was built at the north end of Cayuga Lake and a dam was constructed at the outlet of the lake. This effectively lowered the level of the river by eight to ten feet (about 3 m) and the waters drained from the marshes. The meandering rivers were straightened and deepened, thereby creating additional drainage-ways.
In 1937 the Bureau of Biological Survey, which later became the US Fish and Wildlife Service, purchased 6,432 acres (26.03 km2) of the former marsh. The Civilian Conservation Corps began work on a series of low dikes which would hold water and restore part of the marsh habitat that had once existed.
The refuge was opened in 1938 as the Montezuma Migratory Bird Refuge. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 7971 which established the Bird Refuge on September 12, 1938.
The refuge provides a stopping point for waterfowl and other migratory birds. The refuge restored marsh land lost to drainage from the construction of the Cayuga and Seneca Canal that linked the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
to the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
.
In May, 1973, the refuge was designated as the Montezuma Marshes National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
by the Secretary of the Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
.
The refuge today
The 7,000 acre (28 km2) preserve is composed of swamps, pools and channels and is a stopping point for migratory birds. Planners hope to increase the size of the preserve through donations and purchases of surrounding properties.The New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
passes through the north end of the preserve. While passing motorists can glimpse the preserve as they speed along the Thruway, they may obtain a better view from the 3.5 mile (6 km) road that begins at the visitors center south of the Thruway.
The refuge also has an area where Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s have been nesting in recent years.
Enjoying the refuge
In addition to providing wildlife habitat, the refuge also provides opportunities for people to observe wildlife. The refuge is open during daylight hours seven days a week. There are no bicycling facilities at Montezuma.The 3.5 mile (6 km) Wildlife Drive is a one-way auto tour that provides many opportunities to observe and photograph wildlife. The main feature of the drive is the 1600 acre (6.5 km2) wetland which hosts a rich diversity of waterfowl, waterbirds and other wildlife. The drive is open most of the year with the exception of winter, when the road may not be passable.
Hikers and walkers can enjoy the 2 mile (3 km) Esker Brook Trail and the 3/4 mile (1 km) Oxbow Trail.
The Visitor Center and gift shop are open from April 1 to December 1 and have educational brochures, exhibits and specimens about the refuge and its wildlife.